How To Make Pastry Cream (Vanilla Custard)

A jar of silky homemade pastry cream piped with a swirl on top.

How To Make Pastry Cream (Vanilla Custard)

Learn how to make silky homemade Pastry Cream, the classic vanilla custard made from milk, egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch that fills tarts, eclairs, cream puffs, and layered desserts.

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Keyword Pastry Cream

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Servings servings

Calories 134kcal

Author Jason Decker

Ingredients

Instructions

Add the milk and 1/4 cup of sugar to a medium sauce pot, and whisk to combine.
2 cups whole milk, 1/4 + 1/3 cup granulated sugar divided
Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often.
While heating, in a large bowl, add the egg yolks, whole egg, cornstarch, and remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar. Whisk until smooth.
2 large egg yolks, 1 large whole egg, 1/4 cup cornstarch
Once the milk comes to a boil, very slowly drizzle the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly.
Add all of the milk to the egg mixture, then transfer everything back into the sauce pot.
Over medium heat, bring it back up to a boil, stirring constantly.
Once the mixture reaches a boil, remove from the heat and stir in the butter until melted.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Then, stir in the vanilla.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pour into a medium bowl and immediately cover with plastic wrap so the plastic touches the top of the pastry cream, so a skin does not form on top. Place in the fridge until cold.

Notes

Whisk Wild – Use a good whisk on that egg yolk mixture—no lumps allowed in pastry school!
Heat Slow – Cook it on medium-low heat in a medium saucepan—don’t let it boil like a volcano!
Stir Crazy – Keep stirring with a rubber spatula—small bubbles mean it’s thickening, not burning!
Strain It – Pour it through a fine-mesh sieve—smoother than a baby’s giggle!
Cool Smart – Let it chill at room temperature before the fridge—no sweaty cream!
Butter Boost – Add unsalted butter last—makes it shiny like a pastry chef’s secret!

Nutrition